Rose's Birthday
by cheri1
Summary: 10/Rose. It's Rose's birthday and the Doctor takes her to a planet to celebrate but soon everything starts going wrong and the Doctor must rescue her before she's killed. FINISHED.
1. Prologue

Prologue

It was early morning on the TARDIS and more importantly, it was Rose's birthday. She opened her eyes and yawned as she stretched and looked around. She could hear the familiar and comforting wheezing of the TARDIS, so commonplace to her now it was almost like white noise. But as she sat up in bed, she heard something else and she swore it was the melodic music of a violin. She was about to go over and open the door to see if she was hallucinating when the door suddenly opened and the Doctor strolled over to her bed, playing a soothing tune on a Stradivarius.

Rose grinned as the Doctor stood by her bed and played a cheerful melody for her before he switched to playing Happy Birthday.

"Didn't know you could play the violin," she said after he finished and she clapped.

"I can play many things, poppet," the Doctor said. "You don't know everything about me, you know."

She laughed when he played the Jaws theme song on the violin before reaching into his pocket, pulling out an envelope and laying it in her lap. He patted her head and went out the door, playing a mournful melody. Rose watched him go, her heart filled with love for him while his violin music echoed down the hall. She looked down at the envelope and opened it up. She gasped when she pulled out a birthday card in the shape of the TARDIS. She admired it for a moment before opening it up. She chuckled when she saw a photo of the Doctor sitting in his jump seat on the left side of the card. On the other side of the blank card, the Doctor wrote her a note in his elegant handwriting.

GOOD MORNING, FAITHFUL COMPANION,

THIS IS THE DOCTOR WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. NOW THAT YOU HAVE OPENED UP MY TARDIS AND SAW ME INSIDE, THERE IS NO BACKING OUT. YOU MUST COME WITH ME ON A FABULOUS BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE. SO MY PARTNER IN CRIME, GET DRESSED, GET OUT HERE AND LET'S GET GOING.

YOURS,

SIR DOCTOR OF TARDIS, ESQ. (and yes, I am a licensed solicitor.)

Rose giggled after reading that. She looked at the photo of the Doctor on the jump seat and touched his face, thinking to herself how handsome he looked in the photo and how lucky she was to be his traveling companion. While she was gazing at his face, she was jerked out of her reverie by the sound of a bass drum booming. The Doctor came into the room, bass drum strapped to his chest while he beat on both sides with large drumsticks.

"Oi! Get out of here with that!" Rose said, laughing.

The Doctor stopped the banging.

"Have you read the card?" he asked.

"Yes, I have."

"And…"

"I want to do it."

"Then…why are you still in bed? Come on, up and at em!" he yelled before he began beating the drum again.

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" Rose said with a grin as she got out of bed.

The Doctor stopped pounding the drum and gazed at her lavender nightdress. Rose noticed him ogling her clothes and pointed her finger at him.

"Oi, get out!" she said.

She walked over to her chest of drawers to get her outfit. She opened the top drawer and grunted when the Doctor rammed the bass drum into her back.

"Hey, I can't see what you're doing because this bass drum is in the way," the Doctor said.

Rose laughed when he lightly bumped her back over and over with the drum.

"Do you want me to do this or not?" Rose said over her shoulder.

"I want to watch. I'm making a study of human dressing habits and this is a golden opportunity."

"Yeah, sure it is. Out!" Rose teased.

She laughed when the Doctor turned and banged the drum all the way out the door. She chuckled to herself while she pulled out some underwear and socks and prepared herself for a shower.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Rose finished dressing, putting on blue jeans and a sky blue t-shirt with white plimsols. She made her way to the console room, following the sound of the violin. When she entered the console room, the Doctor was sitting on his jump seat, staring at the rotor while he played. She grinned and tried to sneak up on him but the Doctor lowered his violin and checked his watch.

"So…decided to join me at last? I composed a whole symphony in the time it took you to get out here. For shame, Rose Tyler, I might have fallen asleep or walked off on me own."

"Right, you little puppy dog, woulda been back here in under two minutes since you're useless without me," Rose said, ruffling his hair affectionately before plopping down beside him.

The Doctor stopped playing the violin.

"Useless?" he said while Rose giggled. "I'm useless, am I? Well, bang goes your fabulous birthday adventure then."

He moved the bow rapidly over the strings while he played Flight of the Bumblebee. He pretended to ignore Rose while he played, keeping his eyes on the ceiling.

"Doctor…"

"Sorry, busy being useless here," the Doctor said, keeping his eyes on the ceiling while he played.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," Rose said.

"Uh-huh, you just want your birthday treat. You don't really mean that," the Doctor said, his eyes still on the ceiling.

Rose stood up. She gazed at the Doctor who was still keeping his eyes to the ceiling while he played. Then she leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. She giggled when the Doctor stopped playing and froze with the bow halfway across the strings. Rose waited for him to unfreeze and look at her.

"Interesting," the Doctor said, finally unfreezing and playing a soulful melody while he looked up at the ceiling. "But I require more convincing."

For a moment, Rose had a thought about taking the Time Lord, throwing him up against his console and showing him how much convincing she could really do but she decided to play hard to get instead. Whistling, she headed for the front door since she knew they had landed somewhere. She reached the door and was about to open it when she heard the Doctor clearing his throat loudly.

"I didn't say you could go outside," he said as he ceased playing.

"It's my birthday, I can do whatever the hell I want," Rose said airily to the door before she opened it.

She stepped outside and gasped when she stepped directly into a raging blizzard. She ran back inside and noticed the Doctor was now leaning on the side of his console, a smug look on his face.

"Problem?" the Doctor said innocently when Rose slammed the door.

"There's a blizzard out there," Rose said, rubbing her arms.

"Oh really? That could be a problem, I suppose. And the problem is, I haven't gone to our destination yet. I landed here to make a few repairs while you slept. Of course, if you want to go celebrate your birthday on a desolate ice planet that's millions of miles away from the nearest sun, I'll be more than happy to accommodate you."

"No, I'd rather go where you wanted to take me," Rose said, walking up the ramp.

"Fair enough," the Doctor said.

Rose walked over to the console and watched while the Doctor did his usual manic dance around it, inputting their destination.

"So…where are we going?" Rose said, following him as he finished up.

"Secret, shhh…" the Doctor said, putting his finger to his lips.

"Come on, tell me."

"Secret," the Doctor said emphatically.

Rose feigned annoyance and smiled when the Doctor patted her head on the way around her to another part of the console. He finished and walked over to the jump seat. He picked up his Stradivarius and put the end under his chin. He began to play a soft slow song while Rose walked over and sat down beside him.

"So…I s'pose you played professionally at some point?" Rose said. "Played in the London Symphony Orchestra or Carnegie Hall?"

"Nope, I only play for my own enjoyment," the Doctor said.

"Really? I didn't think you did that. I thought every talent you had must be shown off to anyone within range of ya," Rose teased.

She giggled when the Doctor stopped playing and eyed her for a moment before playing again.

"Are you going to play that thing all through my birthday celebration?" Rose asked.

"Perhaps. Why? Would it upset you if I did? I thought I'd provide background music for your day today. You don't want background music?"

_I'd rather have you,_ Rose thought to herself. _I'd rather have you in my bed naked. That would be the perfect gift for me._

"No, I'd rather have your company," Rose said aloud.

The Doctor stopped playing and gazed at her.

"Would you be heartbroken without my company?" he finally asked her.

"Um…yeah," Rose said, a bit taken aback at the question. "I love your company."

_And I love you,_ she thought.

The Doctor stared up at the ceiling again in reflection and Rose figured he would start playing again but he laid the Stradivarius carefully on the seat beside him, scooted over until he was next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. Rose watched him for a moment and then leaned back while the Doctor closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh. It was times like this that she wished the Doctor would really say what he was feeling since she was sure he felt the same way about her that she did about him. He showed her over and over that he did care for her but she just wished once in awhile that he would say the words. But for the moment, she was happy that he was so close to her and that he cared deeply for her.

The Doctor opened his eyes when the TARDIS landed and powered down.

"Aha, now to your birthday celebration," he said, hopping up.

He extended his hand to her.

"Shall I help you to stand, birthday girl?" he asked her.

"You may," Rose said.

She took his hand and gasped when the Doctor jerked her to his feet.

"Didn't say it would be dainty," he said with a devilish grin.

"You're going the right way for a smack bottom, mister."

There it was, that split second when the Doctor would get a lustful look on his face before he masked it back behind his cheerful grin. It was times like this that Rose felt the Doctor really did want to be with her as a true lover, but she figured it was the whole stupid curse of the Time Lords thing that held him back. She wished, not for the first time, that there was some way she could turn herself into a Time Lord so she could be with him and not have to worry about the curse thing.

She took the Doctor's hand and he led her to the front door.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"And now, are you ready for your birthday day?" the Doctor said, pausing at the door, his back to it while he looked at Rose.

"Yup."

"Are you excited?" he said.

"Yup!"

"Am I to be thanked for doing this for you?"

"Nope."

She giggled when the Doctor feigned anger at that. He smiled and turned, throwing open the door. Unlike the last location, the day was bright and sunny and they were in the middle of a bustling city. The buildings were made out of crystal and all of them sparkled in the sunlight. The Doctor let Rose pass and then shut the door behind them.

"Follow me," he said, after checking to make sure he had his unlimited credit stick on him. "I shall lead you to the first of your many birthday delights."

Rose tried to contain her excitement as she followed the Doctor out of a small park and onto the pavement. The Doctor casually strolled down the pavement while Rose followed him, gazing up at the tall crystal buildings and skyscrapers.

"Okay, so where are we?" she asked.

"Trollop."

"Oi, watch it, mister," Rose said.

"No, the name of the city is Trollop," the Doctor said, looking over his shoulder.

"Oh, sorry," Rose said.

"It's perfectly alright. Everyone makes mistakes…ya big fat tart," the Doctor said, spitting the last part out rapidly before he ran away giggling insanely.

Rose giggled and ran after him. The Doctor slowed down after several feet, crooked his arm and let her thread her arm through his before they continued walking. The Doctor led her to a small crystal building. On the outside above the door was a sign that read, Melissa's Magical Massages and Day Spa.

"Present number one," the Doctor said. "Didn't know what you'd like, I figured perhaps a massage and a bit of pampering?"

"Yes, that would be great," Rose said, nodding enthusiastically.

The Doctor, pleased that he made the right decision, led the way inside. The light shown through the crystal sides so there was no need for electric light during the day. They walked over to a lady sitting behind a desk and the Doctor told her that Rose had a reservation and paid for her birthday present with the credit stick. He told Rose he'd be back in an hour to check on her and left while the lady led her back to the massage room.

Rose was led to a smaller room that was made of white metal walls and a marble floor. In the middle of the room was a cushioned table and she was helped onto it. She lay on her stomach, stuck her head through the hole up at the front and relaxed as a young, plump woman came into the room. For the next half hour, she chatted with Melissa while she kneaded and worked her muscles until Rose was in a state of contented peace.

While that was happening, the Doctor was out arranging an intimate dinner for two. He had made reservations at a ritzy restaurant and had ordered flowers and purchased a box of chocolates and a white teddy bear with a red ribbon. While he headed back to the restaurant, he looked down at the items in his hands and sighed.

"What the hell am I doing?" he said to himself. "Dinner, flowers, Teddy bear, chocolates, this is generic stuff. Rose is worth more to me than dinner and some gifts. Omega's orifice, tell her how you really feel for once instead of throwing worthless crap her way."

He found a bench and sat down for a moment, laying the box and bear down beside him.

"Oh, Rose, I wish I had the courage to tell you how I really feel. I know you'll enjoy all this stuff and the dinner but it's not enough. You deserve so much more. If I could shrink a supernova down and put it in a locket, I'd do that."

_Well, why can't you tell her how you truly feel,_ his inner voice said to him. _What do you have to lose?_

"I might lose her," the Doctor muttered in response. "Everyone who's ever traveled with me has died or left me and someday her turn will come."

_And…_ the inner voice said, _can't you let her know that you love her so if she does leave, she'll know it? Quit being a bloody chicken and open your mouth, Oncoming Storm. _

"Blimey, my mind is very bossy," the Doctor muttered as he gathered up the box and bear and stood up. "I better get back and check on Rose before she orders more from their menu and runs up the charge on my credit stick."

While he passed by a street corner, he paused when he saw a TV mounted on a pole. Several people were gathered around it watching a news report and the Doctor did the same.

"Another victim of the Vampire Killer has been found," a male newsreader was saying. "The victim, Stephanie Truckonga was found in a field just outside the Trollop city limits. As before, she was completely drained of blood. A note was sent to her family daring them to find her before it was too late. According to Miss Truckonga's mother, the note listed directions to where Stephanie was alleged to be held but when they arrived at the address, they found an abandoned building. At the moment, the Vampire Killer remains at large and seems to be targeting young women so please be careful and be aware of your surroundings at all times."

The newsreader went on to the next item and everyone drifted away, including the Doctor. He thought about the Vampire Killer while he walked to the massage parlor and considered getting involved so no more women would be killed. He decided to see if Rose might be interested in finding out who was behind the killings after dinner.

By the time he reached the massage parlor, Rose was through with her massage and according to the receptionist was in the steam room. The Doctor asked the women to look after the gifts and paid for some time in the steam room. The lady put the gifts under her desk and led the Doctor out of the room.

Rose closed her eyes and breathed in the steamy air while she sat on a plastic bench in the steam room. She was wearing a white bathing suit that was provided by the staff and she was relaxing after the massage and a short stay in the Jacuzzi. While she rested, she heard the door to the steam room open. She opened her eyes and was taken aback when the Doctor walked towards her.

"May I join you?" the Doctor said.

He noticed Rose was staring at the white swim trunks the staff gave him before her eyes went up to his bare chest.

"Don't say a word," the Doctor said while Rose giggled. "I know you're gonna make some wisecrack about my pale body."

"What are you doing here; won't they throw you out if they find you here?"

"Uh, no…because I paid to be in here."

"Oh, alright then."

Rose giggled while the Doctor eyed her and sat down next to her.

"I do things legitimately too," he said to her. "I have a credit stick and I paid for time, is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, just making sure you weren't gonna get tossed out of here. I know you, Doctor; you're as tight as a fish's bum."

"I don't have a proper job, Rose, so I have to improvise sometimes. Doesn't mean I'm a miser, alright?" he said while Rose sniggered. Tight as a fish's bum indeed. I'll yank your goldielocks off your head and feed them to you if you don't curb that disrespectful mouth, Miss Tyler. Now…on to sweating…"

The Doctor closed his eyes and relaxed. Rose did the same but she couldn't help but look at the beads of sweat slowly running down the Doctor's chest to his groin. She had to look away when she felt herself becoming aroused.

"I need you."

Rose jerked her head around when she heard the Doctor, hardly daring to believe he had just said that to her. The Doctor was watching her silently and taking a quick glance at his crotch, she could see no arousal there.

"I need you to come with me after our night is finished. I was on my way here when I saw a newsreader talking about a Vampire Killer; apparently someone is draining young women's blood and leaving their dead bodies around. I want to investigate and I need you to help me. Interested?"

"Um…okay," Rose said, trying to hide her disappointment that he meant something totally different by I need you.

"You don't want to?"

"Yeah, I'll help you, why wouldn't I?"

"Because this is your birthday and you earned a day of rest."

"Yes, but you get into trouble if you're left alone."

"No, I think you mean you."

"Nope."

"Yup."

She gasped when the Doctor tried to flick some of his sweat at her. She giggled and pushed a button that released more steam into the room.

"Don't bother me none," the Doctor said as the room filled up with steam.

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't have done that. Now I can't stand it in here. Oh, shut up," Rose said when the Doctor said, "Tee hee," in a high-pitched voice.

She headed towards the door and sensed the Doctor standing up behind her.

"Eh, this steam room is rubbish anyway," he said. "I need to give you your gifts so we can head to the restaurant."

Rose stepped outside and grabbed a towel from a towel rack on the wall beside her. The Doctor did the same and Rose stole a glance at his swim trucks and sweaty body before she turned away and wiped the sweat off her own body.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

After changing back into their clothes, they walked back up to the reception desk. The Doctor stopped Rose and held his hands out. The receptionist handed him the box and bear and he presented them to Rose. Rose let out a delighted squeal while the receptionist watched with a smile on her face.

"Thank you," Rose said.

"You like them? I mean, it's not a very imaginative gift, I'm rubbish at buying birthday gifts."

"I love it, thanks," Rose said.

The Doctor beamed at that, pleased she liked the gifts. They said goodbye to the receptionist and headed out the door. The Doctor turned right and led Rose towards the restaurant.

"Seriously, you really do like your gifts?" the Doctor said to her while they walked.

"Yes, I do. Quit worrying so much, I'll love anything you give me," Rose said.

"Even a swift birthday kick in the arse?"

"Alright, smart arse," Rose said while the Doctor chuckled. "That'll do. So…when's your birthday then so I can return the favor."

"Birthday? Don't have one."

"What'd ya mean, you don't have one. You were born, weren't ya?"

"No, I was created in a machine called a loom."

"Okay then, but there was a day when you began to exist, shouldn't that be your birthday?"

"I don't remember the day because we didn't do that sort of thing on Gallifrey. We don't age, remember? So it wouldn't make any sense for me to celebrate growing older when I don't grow old."

"Well, you need a birthday just so I can give ya something," Rose said.

The Doctor smiled at that. They neared a corner and the Doctor stopped Rose when they saw another news report about the Vampire Killer.

"This is what I mentioned to you earlier," the Doctor said.

"Oh God, that poor woman. Why is he taking their blood? You don't think it really is a vampire, do ya?"

The Doctor laughed boisterously, earning him some odd looks from some people beside him. Rose sighed and waited for him to finish laughing. He laughed for thirty seconds and then suddenly stopped.

"Dunno, possibly," he said.

"You twit!" Rose said, smacking him on the back while he giggled. "You have no shame, you know that. All these people standing around staring at ya and you just kept on going with your hyena laugh."

"Yeah, because I knew it would embarrass ya. Can't get through the day without humiliating you at least once.'

He chuckled and put his arm around her when Rose shot him a look. Rose saw the amused look on his face and her heart melted. Try as she might, she could never stay angry at him for long. He had a way of cheering her up even when he was being an embarrassing little git.

The Doctor led her to the restaurant. The outside was made of crystal like everything else and Rose could see the outlines of tables and patrons that were right beside the walls but they were indistinct since the crystal walls weren't entirely clear. They went inside and waited at a podium for someone to come up. When a man came to the podium, the Doctor told him they had reservations and gave him his name. The man led them to the back of the restaurant and up a flight of crystal stairs to the second level. They turned right and he led them to a crystal veranda. The veranda overlooked a park with a large pond and the man indicated that they should sit at a glass table on the veranda. Rose set her things down on the table, pulled back the wooden chair the man showed her and gasped when she saw a dozen long stemmed roses on the seat. She looked at the Doctor who had a loving look on his face while he sat in his seat. Rose set the roses, box and bear in the empty seat beside her while the man gave them a couple of menus. He took their drink orders before walking away.

"This is a beautiful restaurant," Rose said to the Doctor while she opened her menu.

"Thought you might like it," the Doctor said. "The food is excellent. I've eaten here a couple times in the past so order whatever you like, I'm buying."

"Figured that, Mister Unlimited Credit Stick."

"Shhh, don't run your gob about that, okay? They might take it from me and then bang goes your fabulous birthday dinner."

"I still think you need a birthday of your own," Rose said to him while she glanced at the menu. "You need to celebrate your life."

"Sometimes I don't think my life is worth celebrating."

The Doctor muttered this in a very low voice and Rose caught it, even thought she knew he was trying to say it softly so she couldn't hear him. It hurt her heart to hear him say that, especially since she knew that he had enriched her life and so many others and without him, she would still be a lowly shopgirl. She didn't say anything in response since she knew she wasn't supposed to hear it and studied the menu choices. Then she heard the Doctor get up and lowered the menu when he sat down in the empty chair beside her with his menu.

"I think it's rubbish to sit across from each other when you eat somewhere. I never understood that," the Doctor said. "I prefer to sit by my friends so I can share the experience with them."

Rose smiled at that and patted his hand affectionately. She went back to looking at the menu but she felt the Doctor's eyes on her and lowered the menu.

"What?" she said when the Doctor gazed at her with a small smile on his face.

"It intrigues me, this need to celebrate getting old and infirm, one of the quirks about humans that I love. You love to celebrate key points in your life like your birthday," he said.

"Infirm? I'm not infirm yet," Rose said.

"No, but even when you reach that point, you still take time to celebrate life. I love that," the Doctor said. "I love the optimism a lot of humans have, counters all the darkness your species is capable of. Makes me love ya even more."

Rose's heart was warmed by that and she patted his cheek affectionately and giggled when he let out an awww at that before he turned his attention back to the menu. She was trying to decide between choosing a fish and chips meal or steak when she felt someone come up behind her. She saw the Doctor lower his menu and cast a puzzled look behind her and she did the same and turned in her seat. A young man with short brown hair and brown eyes was standing behind her, smiling warmly at her.

"Forgive me, I couldn't help but overhear," he said, pointing to an empty seat at a table just inside the room. "Are you celebrating your birthday?"

"Yes, I am," Rose said.

"Well, happy birthday," he said. "I'm Robert."

"I'm Rose, this is the Doctor."

"Rose, what a beautiful name, it fits you."

Rose blushed at that and thanked him. He excused himself and went to sit back down.

"That was sweet of him," Rose said softly while she went back to looking at her menu.

"Yeah, you stay away from him though, you're with me and I won't stand for anymore Adams in your life."

Rose lowered her menu and noticed the Doctor was being completely serious.

"You're still cross about Adam?" she asked.

"Let me think, betrayed us after I generously allowed him onto the TARDIS with us. Yes, I'm still cross at him and I hope someone's found that door in his head by now and he's ended up a lab rat that's getting perfume enemas up his arse."

Rose was taken aback at that. She was shocked that he still harbored so much anger over that and she was also shocked that he was showing signs of jealousy but at the same time it thrilled her that he was being so protective of her.

"He meant no harm, Doctor; he was just wishing me a happy birthday. Calm down before you stick a fork in him," Rose said.

The Doctor smiled at that. Rose could tell he was pretending it had all been a joke but she could tell he had been genuinely jealous of the man. But she decided not to press the issue since she didn't want to get in an argument with the Doctor over his being jealous of someone saying hello and happy birthday to her. She studied her menu and finally selected the fish and chips. She set the menu down and waited for the waiter to come back to take their order.

After they got done eating, Rose gathered up her bear and box of chocolates while the Doctor took her flowers. They left the restaurant together on their way back to the TARDIS.

"So…what'd you think of your birthday gifts?" the Doctor asked her.

"I loved them. Thank you for thinking of me."

"Aw, I always think of you. Besides, I was happy to do it. That steak and mash was yummy nummy in my tummy," the Doctor said, rubbing his belly. "I could eat there every day. So…where shall we head next in our never-ending search for fun and adventure?"

"Um…the loo?"

She laughed when the Doctor gave her an odd look.

"What will we do in the loo?" the Doctor said.

"Um…stare at the toilet?"

"Um…no," the Doctor said while Rose laughed. "I'm thinking we'll go someplace a bit more interesting than the loo. How about…"

"Hey!"

The Doctor and Rose froze when they heard someone call out behind them. They turned and saw Robert was behind them.

"May I join you?" he said to them.

"Um…no, actually we're heading home," Rose said while the Doctor eyed him suspiciously.

"Can I come home with you?"

"Um…no, sorry, we prefer to be alone," Rose said.

She gasped when Robert whipped a tiny laser blaster out of his pocket and pointed it at her.

"No, I think you and I will take a little walk, Rose, just the two of us."

The Doctor moved in front of her.

"I don't think you will be going anywhere with her, Bobby boy," the Doctor said."And if you know what's good for you, you'll put the gun away and walk away from us."

Rose gasped when Robert shot him and the Doctor fell to the pavement, stunned. Rose turned to yell for help and grunted when Robert shot her and she fell down beside the Doctor.

"Hate to have to do this to you…" Robert said, stepping up between them and kneeling down, "but I believe the three of us are going to go someplace private where we can talk."

He pulled a small control box out of his pocket, looked around and then pressed a button. The three of them were enveloped in a bright light and when it faded, they were gone.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

When the flash faded, the Doctor and Rose were inside a dingy room with dirty walls and a dirty floor. They were both still conscious but couldn't move anything or speak, only watch while Robert stood up and stared down at them.

"Shame I had to do that, I hate being rude but you were making trouble for me," Robert said nonchalantly to them. "Actually, I didn't want you, Doctor. It was Rose I was after."

Robert saw the glare on his face and he shrugged.

"I can't resist a beautiful lass like her," he said, kneeling down and running his finger down her cheek. "So young and radiant, she's perfect."

The Doctor wondered what that meant while he struggled to move his body. He hated being so close to Rose but not able to protect her while Robert gazed at her with admiration. The Doctor narrowed his eyes, trying to warn him against hurting Rose but Robert wasn't fazed. He picked Rose up and carried her out of the room. Rose couldn't move her head but he could see the panicked expression on her face and for one heart stopping moment, he thought he was taking her away in order to rape her. His mind worked overtime, trying to figure a way to get his limbs working again and get to Rose before she ended up injured or worse.

Robert came back into the room and the Doctor glared at him, not able to do anything else while he imagined beating the man within an inch of his life.

_You better hope for your sake that I stayed catatonic because if you so much as breathe on Rose wrong, you're gonna regret it,_ he thought while he glared at him.

"I can tell from the look in your eyes that you want to hurt me," Robert said.

_Bright spark,_ the Doctor thought. _You'd be an even brighter spark if you ran away from here and left the two of us alone._

I suppose you're wondering what's happening here, blink once for yes, twice for no," Robert said.

The Doctor blinked once and Robert knelt down beside him.

"Well, I don't know how long you've been here but I'm the one they're calling the Vampire Killer, ah, I see you've heard of me," Robert said when the Doctor's eyes widened with recognition. "Do you know why I do what I do?"

The Doctor blinked twice.

"Well, no offense to you and your beautiful girlfriend but this is strictly business."

He chuckled at the confused look on the Doctor's face.

"Yes, I know, draining women's blood doesn't seem to make sense until you realize that there are skin cream companies who pay a fortune for young women's blood. Supposedly, it has something that keeps the skin looking youthful, at least that's what the men I work for say. They got the idea from some old Earth legend about an Elizabeth Bathory, some woman who used to slaughter virgin women and bathe in their blood to keep herself young forever. Daft notion but skin cream companies pay me credits out the nose to supply them with women's blood which is where your girlfriend comes in. I usually spend my days looking for women who are young and beautiful and unfortunately, mate, your girlfriend is just what they look for. Nothing personal, just business. Now…as for you, can't let you go running off to tell people what I'm doing so perhaps I'll drain you as well. They'll never know the difference, will they? As long as they have blood, why would it matter if it came from a young man or a woman?"

The Doctor longed to speak to him and tell him why he wasn't as young as he thought but he couldn't make his voice box work. He willed Robert to take him to Rose, wanting to see what he did to her. Then to his surprise, Robert picked him up and carried him into the other room. The entire house was abandoned and looked as though it was ready for demolition. There were huge cracks and holes in the walls and he felt a slight chilly breeze on his face as they passed through the rooms. Then he turned to his right, opened a faded wooden door and walked down stone steps into a basement.

_Lovely, the bloke is Freddy Kreuger,_ the Doctor thought as they went down.

When he reached the bottom of the musty, moldy basement he turned left and carried the Doctor to another door. When he opened it, the Doctor's eyes widened in horror. Rose was staped down to a large wooden table. Her right arm had been strapped down below her shoulder and at her wrist, so tightly she couldn't move her arm. Robert had put an IV needle in her arm and ran a tube from it down to a large glass jar beside the table. The blood from Rose's arm was slowly sliding down the plastic tube into the jar which now had about three inches of blood on the bottom of it. The Doctor fought with all his being to break free of his catatonic state and fight the bastard who was draining Rose's lifeblood from her body. Rose was still catatonic too, her eyes staring up at the ceiling, tear stains on her cheeks while her skin slowly turned ashen from the loss of blood. Robert sat the Doctor on the floor, turning his head so he could watch and he went over to Rose. The Doctor watched in anguish as her blood slowly flowed out of the tube into the jar.

"I hope you're not in any pain, my dear," Robert said to Rose. "I think you'll eventually get sleepy and got to sleep, it'll be an easy death."

The Doctor saw the defiant look on Rose's face and felt pride that she wasn't showing any fear to this maniac. As he lay there, he suddenly felt his ring finger twitch and he realized that the catatonia was wearing off. He kept his face passive though, not wanting Robert to catch on so he could ambush him once his limbs were back to normal. Silently, he willed his body to hurry while Robert stroked Rose's cheek. To his relief, Robert left the room after telling them he'd be back in to check on them. The Doctor continued to flex his ring finger and now he could feel his index finger beginning to move too. His hearts tore into when he saw the silent tears flowing down Rose's cheeks and he longed to speak to her and tell her he loved her and everything would be alright. Slowly, each of his fingers began to move but the jar was rapidly filling up and he was frightened that by the time he'd be able to reach Rose, she'd be dead. He strained his body, trying to flex his fingers faster. Then he stopped for a moment when he saw Rose moving her lips. Like him, no sound was coming out but he could tell she was mouthing his name. He paused to read her lips.

Doctor, I love you, she mouthed.

_No, don't give up yet, it's not finished,_ the Doctor thought while he began flexing his fingers again.

The jar was now a quarter of the way full and Rose's face was deathly pale. The Doctor managed to move his hand and to his relief, the rest of his body was beginning to respond to him.

_Yes, yes, move, damn it, I've got to get to her,_ the Doctor thought as he moved his legs.

Rose wasn't showing any signs of movement but he guessed that was due to the blood drain and not because she was still stunned. He breathed a sigh of relief when his legs worked just enough for him to stand and walk with a jerky movement over to Rose. He saw the tears start to flow again but he knew this time they were due to relief that he was at her side.

"Shh, I have you, birthday girl," the Doctor said in a hoarse voice before he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

He muttered an apology if he caused her pain as he slid the needle out of her vein. He put his fingers on the wound and pressed down, trying to stop the bleeding while he examined her. She was pale and cold to the touch and weakened from the blood loss. The Doctor looked down at the amount of blood in the jar and winced.

"We need to get you back to med bay so I can give you a transfusion," the Doctor said in a raspy voice. "But hopefully, you'll be alright until then."

"Doctor," Rose said weakly.

"It's alright; I'll take you away from here, promise. Just relax," the Doctor said, undoing the straps.

He winced when he undid the straps on her right arm; Robert had tightened them so much that there was a purplish bruise in the shape of the strap. Cursing to himself, he quickly undid the other straps while Rose watched through half closed eyes. The Doctor finished undoing the straps. Just as he finished with the last one, the door opened and Robert froze when he noticed the Doctor was giving him a murderous look.

"Hello, Robert, I believe you miscalculated how long I would be catatonic," the Doctor said, slowly moving towards him.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Robert swallowed loudly when he saw the rage on the Doctor's face. He backed away from him, heading back out the door.

"It's just business, that's all, I make money this way," Robert said weakly while the Doctor followed him with a murderous look on his face.

"Well, consider it just business if I break your neck for nearly killing my friend!" the Doctor growled at him. "And not only for my friend but for how many other women you murdered in this little money making venture of yours. Now you're going to pay for what you did."

Robert gasped and tried to run for the door but the Doctor sprinted to him, grabbed the collar of his shirt and slammed him up against the wall. Robert looked into his dark eyes and took in the Doctor's dispassionate expression while he kept him pinned there.

"I'm…sorry," Robert said weakly.

The Doctor snorted at that.

"You'll be even more sorry when I've finished with you," he said, bringing his face close to Robert. "I don't like people who kill innocent people for personal gain and draining away someone's blood to make skin cream is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. Do you know what they did to Elizabeth Bathory when they finally brought her to justice?"

Robert swallowed hard and nodded.

"They walled her up so she only had a small group of rooms to move around in and she spent four years in that tiny prison until her death. As for me, I think that's a bit too charitable. I think I'll do the same to you except wall you up in a corner and let you suffocate to death."

"No, please," Robert said.

"Or perhaps…throw you on the table and drain your blood, except I wouldn't allow it to come out quickly. I'd rig it up so it came out one drop at a time and let you slowly die over a period of days while I watched. How's that sound?"

"No, please don't kill me," Robert said in a hushed voice.

"And why should I show you mercy when you didn't show those women any? The woman in there was having a wonderful birthday dinner before you decided to make her your next victim. This is her birthday and she spends it strapped to a table having her blood drained!"

Robert flinched when he spat out the last few words in his face. He trembled when he saw the rage on the Doctor's face and he had no doubt that the man would be capable of carrying out the threats he was describing.

"Please let me turn myself in," Robert said. "I'll go to prison, just don't kill me, please."

The Doctor glowered at him and Robert swallowed hard when he didn't get any response from him. Then suddenly, the Doctor jerked him roughly to the floor.

"Get up, go to the phone and ring the police and do it now!" he growled at Robert.

Robert glanced at Rose who was watching him from the table in the other room. He grunted when the Doctor shoved him.

"Quit looking at her and do what I said to do!" he snarled at him.

He walked with Robert over to the phone and waited while he placed a call to the police. Robert glanced nervously back at the Doctor while he told the police who he was and what he had done. When he hung up the phone, the Doctor held out his hand.

"Give me whatever it is you used to kidnap us so we can get back," the Doctor said.

Robert handed him the control box. The Doctor thanked him and then decked him. Robert grunted and fell back unconscious. The Doctor gave him a look of contempt before he walked back to Rose. He checked her arm and noticed the puncture wound had stopped bleeding. He examined her. She was a little peaked but she seemed to be stabilizing and the Doctor took comfort in that. He picked Rose up and moved her to the sofa for the moment. Once she was comfortable, he walked over, gathered up Robert and put him on the table. By the time he was done tightening the straps, he could hear the police sirens in the distance. He walked back over to Rose and took out the remote control. He studied it for a few seconds, familiarizing himself with it before he gathered her in his arms. Then he hit the button and they both vanished a few seconds before the police cars pulled up to the house.

(Several hours later…)

Rose lay in the bed in her bedroom recovering from her ordeal. The Doctor gave her a couple of blood transfusions and the latest bag had just finished draining. Rose was resting comfortably, no longer feeling weak or ill. She had her eyes closed when she heard her door creaking open. She opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow when a zebra puppet came around the slightly open door.

"Hello," the Doctor said in a goofy voice while he made the puppet talk, "my name is Stripey, I heard you were feeling ill so I came to cheer you up!"

"You're weird, do you know that?" Rose said with a chuckle.

"Meee? I'm a zebra. Zebras aren't weeeeird!"

"No, but the man behind ya is," Rose said.

The Doctor stuck his head around the door.

"What man behind me? I'm the only one here," he said with wide eyes.

"Get in here, ya nut," Rose said after several seconds of laughter.

The Doctor smiled warmly and came into the room. He laid the zebra puppet down on her nightstand and tended to the IV bag.

"Feeling better?" he said over his shoulder as he took the bag down off the pole.

"Much better, I think I'm completely cured now."

"Good," the Doctor said, laying the bag on her nightstand. "Then I think we're done with the blood transfusions."

Rose watched while the Doctor bent over to her arm. She winced when he pulled the needle out of her arm and set the needle on top of the bag. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and brought out some gauze and surgical tape. He put a bit of gauze on the puncture wound and wrapped the tape around it a couple of times to secure it.

"Leave that on for awhile till the wound heals," the Doctor said.

"Yes, Doctor Doctor," Rose said.

"Doctor, Doctor, can't you see I'm burning, burning?" the Doctor said with a wink.

"If you like," Rose said.

"Doctor Doctor, I like that. I'll have to remember that whenever we visit the hospital."

"I'm just glad I didn't end up in hospital," Rose said.

"I'm just glad you didn't end up in the morgue."

Rose's face softened at that and she took the Doctor's hand and squeezed it.

"Doctor, I'm fine now, really," she said.

"I just hate to think what might have happened if he hadn't taken me with you," the Doctor said, sitting down beside her on the bed. "Would I have found you in time?"

"Yes" Rose said. "You would have."

She saw the Doctor wasn't convinced of that but she figured he would spend the next day or two playing the what if game, thinking about what might have happened if he hadn't gotten to her in time…or for that matter, what might have happened if he hadn't come out of his catatonia in time. Rose shivered slightly, thinking of slowly fading away while she watched the Doctor lying there on the floor. She gave his hand a squeeze and he brightened at that.

"When you get better, I'll be giving you another birthday day to make up for the not so good birthday day today," he said to her.

"You mean, dinner again?" Rose said.

"Nah, been there, done that. I have something else in mind that'll blow you away."

"Oh Lord, I dread to think," Rose said.

She giggled at the peeved look on the Doctor's face before she took his arm and pulled him down. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and thanked him for the dinner and gifts. The Doctor brightened at that, kissed her forehead and patted her hand before he stood up. Rose watched while he took the IV stuff and took it out of the room. He got all the way out before sticking his head back in.

"Keep an eye on Stripey for me, will ya?" he said.

"Yes, I'll watch over Stripey," Rose said.

"Brilliant, see ya later, Gator!"

Rose chuckled as he stuck his head back out the door. She sighed contentedly, took the zebra puppet and stared at it for a moment while she thought lovingly of its owner. Then she put the puppet back on the nightstand, turned over on her side and went back to the sleep.

THE END.


End file.
